The Cold and Ruthless Supporting Male Lead

Hai Ku had always thought that Mary Sue stories were a brutal assault on his intelligence. Yet, upon arriving in this world, he realized that sometimes his actions couldn’t keep up with his thoughts.

Even when Nangong Jun sat across from him expressionless, he gave Hai Ku the feeling that he was surrounded by special effects.

When Nangong Jun elegantly picked up his knife and fork, Hai Ku couldn’t help but think that this innate charisma seemed copy-pasted. During previous missions, he had noticed that male leads often shared similar traits, reinforcing his suspicion that Mary Sue protagonists were all created with a single template.

The thought almost made Hai Ku break into laughter. He quickly pretended to drink water and handed Zhang Xiaobao a glass of juice on the side.

“Thank you, Dad.” Zhang Xiaobao, though only 10 years old, tried to act serious around strangers. However, his shy expression was impossible to hide, making his young face appear tender and irresistibly adorable.

In his original world, Hai Ku hadn’t been particularly fond of children. But now, fully immersed in his role, he genuinely found his son endearing.

Nangong Jun had many things he wanted to say, but the napkin-wrapped hairs in his palm made him hesitate.

He slipped the napkin into his inner pocket, his face cold and resolute. He felt there was still much he needed to address.

While Nangong Jun found the meal frustrating, the father-and-son duo across from him enjoyed themselves thoroughly. They ate until their stomachs were full, only pausing to burp and catch their breath.

Half-reclining in his seat, Hai Ku smirked and burped again. “Mr. Nangong, let me be honest with you. Xiao Bao is indeed my biological son. I’ve told Miss Ning this before, but she didn’t believe me. I couldn’t convince her. If you want a paternity test, Xiao Bao and I are ready anytime.”

Nangong Jun stared at Hai Ku, finding his straightforwardness almost excessive. There wasn’t a hint of deceit in his demeanor.

“Hah, I’ll get to the bottom of this. Whoever has been lying to me will face the consequences.” Nangong Jun’s cold laugh reflected his determination. While he adored Ning Yourou; she was his white moonlight, his untouchable dream, he wouldn’t forgive her if she dared to deceive him.

“Rest assured, I wouldn’t dare lie to you.” Hai Ku immediately softened, his eyes narrowing in a cheerful smile. “I just want to live a peaceful life with my child without interference. I hope you can speak to Miss Ning about this too.”

Hai Ku’s display of a father’s earnest desire to live quietly with his child eliminated any suspicion Nangong Jun might have had.

“Alright,” Nangong Jun responded curtly.

Hai Ku let out a sigh of relief. Nangong Jun’s acknowledgment meant he had somewhat accepted his explanation. The paternity test, however, was inevitable.

“Well, I’ll take Xiao Bao home now. Thank you for your hospitality today.” Hai Ku’s words carried sincere gratitude as he played the role of an ordinary man. With a cheerful demeanor, he led his son out of the upscale area that was so clearly out of their league.

After they left, Nangong Jun also departed.

***

The events that had just unfolded lingered in his mind. Holding the hairs in his pocket, Nangong Jun headed to a private hospital with a complicated expression.

This was something he didn’t want anyone else to know about.

After the samples were submitted, Nangong Jun finally replied to a message Ning Yourou had sent an hour earlier.

“Mr. Nangong, once the results are ready, we’ll notify you immediately.”

“Alright,” he replied.

Ning Yourou sent a message asking Nangong Jun to come over, but he kept staring at the text, his thoughts tangled and complicated.

When Ning Yourou received Nangong Jun’s reply declining her invitation, she was utterly shocked.

This man had been pursuing her relentlessly since she returned to the country. Why would he refuse her when she invited him over today?

Unable to figure it out, Ning Yourou changed into a bright and attractive outfit. After getting herself ready, she called Nangong Jun.

“Nangong Jun, I made some chicken soup for you. Would you like to have some?”

Nangong Jun was silent for a moment, and just as Ning Yourou was starting to grow impatient, he replied, “No need. I still have some things to handle and need to head home. I’ll visit you next time.”

“Wait!” She quickly stopped him from hanging up. “Didn’t you meet Xiao Bao today? What do you think…”

Narrowing his eyes, Nangong Jun still hadn’t fully confirmed whether the child was his. His mind wasn’t focused on Xiao Bao, and he found Ning Yourou’s constant talk about the child increasingly annoying. “We’ll discuss this later. I’m busy right now, darling. Let’s plan for another day.”

The call abruptly ended, leaving Ning Yourou stunned.

Her heart raced as she struggled to understand what had gone wrong. Yesterday, Nangong Jun had been fine. Why had his attitude shifted so drastically today? Something must have happened.

Dark thoughts crept into her mind.

Shaking her head, Ning Yourou tried to console herself. “It’s impossible. It’s been 10 years. How could a few days undo everything?”

Believing she was overthinking, Ning Yourou took a moment to calm herself.

Tomorrow, she decided, she would visit Xiao Bao. It had already been over half a month since she last saw him.

Thinking about Zhang Xiaobao, Ning Yourou’s expression softened, and even as she fell asleep that night, she imagined him calling her ‘Mom.’

However, when she arrived at the school gate the next day, she found the place completely empty. The small shops around the school were eerily quiet.

Confused, Ning Yourou wondered if she had mistaken the date. But she was sure it was Monday. Why isn’t anyone at school?

Curious, she walked over to the security office, smiling warmly and speaking in a sweet voice that seemed to drip with honey. “Excuse me, why isn’t anyone at school today?”

The security guard glanced at her and burst out laughing. “The end-of-term exams are over. Of course, no one’s coming anymore. Even we’ll be off starting tomorrow. Right now, we’re just tidying things up.”

“V-vacation already…” Ning Yourou’s face was filled with disbelief.

Having lived in the U.S. for so long, she had almost forgotten when students in China typically went on vacation.

When she hurried to Hai Ku’s residential complex to look for him, she searched high and low but couldn’t find anyone.

By then, Hai Ku had already taken Zhang Xiaobao back to his grandmother’s house.

***

After spending so much time in the city, returning to the countryside brought out the boundless energy of a child. Zhang Xiaobao jumped and skipped like an exuberant little monkey, thrilled beyond words.

Hai Ku felt this was how childhood should be. The overly mature child with an IQ of 280, acting like a miniature adult, was indeed cute, but deep down, Hai Ku believed kids should experience simple joys, like playing in the mud. After all, if they didn’t indulge in such fun while young, they might find no interest in it when they grew up.

“Grandpa, Grandma, I’m back!”

The sweet, childlike voice accompanied by the sound of the door opening made Zhang Xiaobao’s little face flush red from running.

When the door opened, what came into view was the clean and tidy living room, with all the furniture made of wood. Stepping into the room they lived in, the bamboo bed had been washed, and the tiled floor had been mopped, leaving the entire room spotless.

5 years ago, the old house had been torn down and rebuilt. Now, with the new village, just by looking at the layout and arrangement inside the house, one could hardly tell whether it was a city house or a village house.

Carrying the items into the house, Hai Ku was sweating. “Dad, Mom, I’m staying here with Xiao Bao for 2 months.”

Mother Zhang smiled as she walked out of the kitchen, still wearing an apron. Her voice was filled with joy as she spoke, “The room has already been prepared for you. You should rest for now. Your dad went up the mountain to pick some fruit for Xiao Bao.”

“Alright. I also bought some things for you.” Hai Ku placed the items in the living room before going to wash his hands.

Ever since Zhang Xiaobao’s summer break started, Hai Ku had planned to bring him back here, and there were his own reasons for it.

Ning Yourou now ran her own company, and if she still wanted to fight Hai Ku for the child, she had two choices; either rely on herself or rely on others.

But the person who wanted to prove their maternal love would definitely act personally. In such a situation, coming to a place where transportation wasn’t as convenient as the city and information was not as easily accessible could greatly hinder Ning Yourou’s career.

At worst, he could spend these 2 months here in comfort.

However, considering the timing, the male lead should have already received the results of the paternity test. Hai Ku had used an entire bottle of the Green Hat Potion, so the system’s tools were definitely effective.

Thinking of the system’s scene-switching function, Hai Ku poured himself a glass of juice, sinking into the sofa. On the surface, he was resting, but in his mind, he was already imagining what the male lead would look like after receiving the paternity test results.

***

His face was ashen. Nangong Jun directly tore up the paternity test results.

That woman has such nerve!

The chill in Nangong Jun’s eyes made his secretary shudder, silently turning up the air conditioning temperature.

“President, there’s a collaboration project with Miss Ning that you said you wanted to handle personally…”

With a cold smile, Nangong Jun felt like a fool. If Ning Yourou had started her company without his help, how could she have established a foothold in the market in just over a year?

Those who deceived him should pay the price. Nangong Jun rubbed his wrist and said coldly, “Cancel this collaboration.”

“Understood, President.” The secretary didn’t ask for the reason and simply followed the order.

Ning Yourou was going crazy as Nangong Jun had canceled her most important collaboration project.

She had already planned to rest after securing this project, handing the company over to someone else to manage, and bringing the child to her side.

But now…

“Damn it!” She slammed the table and started calling Nangong Jun like crazy.